6 - LEED Guidance for HVAC Engineers

Abstract

This chapter discusses ways in which the various Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) credits affect the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) engineer and describes how the engineer can best respond to the opportunities presented by the use of the LEED system on projects. The LEED Green Building Rating System® published by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) has become a major force for encouraging the integration of green building principles and techniques into building projects. LEED's perspective on commissioning is essential to achieving a functional green building and, as a result, is a required prerequisite for LEED certification. Commissioning is typically the largest added cost for professional services related to complying with LEED, yet it really has nothing to do with the cost of LEED certification per se. It is well known that the savings that accrue from commissioning the building systems pay back quickly (generally in the three to five year range1), and this is for all buildings, whether LEED-rated or not. Despite this, commissioning is not generally performed on new buildings due to the traditional pressure on “first cost.” So, by mandating commissioning, LEED is promoting a practice that contributes to the better long-term energy and indoor air quality (IAQ) performance of the building systems. It produces a return on its cost, and its cost is independent of the process of LEED certification.